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The Hunger Free Schools Act of 2015 allows schools to participate in the Community Eligibility Program, which allows an entire school to qualify for free breakfast and lunch as opposed to individual students.

No student will have to pay for breakfast or lunch at schools participating in the Community Eligibility Program. Schools that have at least 40 percent of their students who are low-income will qualify for the free meals across the board.

"If a school has at least 40 percent of their students who are lower income and qualify for reduced meals, then the entire school receives free breakfast and lunch," said Delegate Keith Haynes, D-Baltimore City.

Haynes and school officials announced the program Tuesday at Beechfield Elementary-Middle School in west Baltimore, where students spent the better part of the morning learning and then headed to lunch, a meal for which they no longer have to pay.

"Our motto is around choosing the right, and this is truly the right thing to do for our children," said Renee Browning, the school's principal.

"It's, like, all about kids getting free lunch and free breakfast, because some parents can't pay for that child to get lunch because they don't have the money to," said Shyree Stanford, a Beechfield student.

"Kids won't be going home and saying, 'I'm hungry,' and their mother just says, 'I don't have anything for you to eat,' and (there's) not enough money to go to the market maybe," said Adria Johnson, a Beechfield student.

Some parents said free meals at school will help families at home.

"I think it's good. A lot of people don't have it, you know, so a lot of kids do look forward to coming to school for lunch, so I think it's a good change," said Tamica Constantino, a Beechfield parent.

The free meals arrangement came together in Baltimore City after the district agreed to become a part of the Community Eligibility Program.

"The cost will not be borne by schools or by the state of Maryland, but by the federal government, which will reimburse schools for this," said Michael Wilson, director of Maryland Hunger Solutions.

That's one of the reasons why Baltimore City is taking part.

"When kids have good eating habits, attendance is better, they come to school. Many of our kids get up in the morning coming to school just for breakfast," Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Gregory Thornton said.

Thornton is not the only one making the connection between good nutrition and performance in the classroom.

"It makes you focus in school because you can't do any work with an empty stomach," said Katia Stanford, a Beechfield student.